ddenly, a terrible fear shot
through his heart that he was in the meshes of some deep-laid scheme for
his ruin; and his mind ran over in eager haste every circumstance
that seemed to point towards guilt. His presence with Kennyfeck on
the mountain; his departure from Drumcoologan alone-, his unexplained
reappearance in his own chamber, disordered and littered as it
stood; his torn dress; his bleeding fingers; and lastly, the missing
pistol,--arose in terrible array before him; and with a heart-sick sigh,
he laid his forehead on the table, and never uttered a word.

It was at this juncture that a groom, splashed and heated from a hard
ride, placed a small bit of twisted paper in Mr. Goring's hand. It was
written with pencil, and ran thus:--

Gap of Ennismore.

Dear G.,--It looks badly; but I fear you have no other
course than to arrest him. In fact, it is too late for
anything else. Consult Malone and Meek.

Yours, in great haste, T. Linton.

Goring handed the note to the Chief Justice, who, having read it, passed
it on to Meek. A nod from the latter, as he refolded the paper, seemed
to accord concurrence with the counsel.

"Would it not be better to defer this till after the inquest?" he
whispered.

"Are ye certain o' findin' him when ye want him?" dryly remarked Sir
Andrew.

The Chief Justice conferred for a few seconds with Meek apart, and
then approaching Cashel, addressed him in a tone inaudible to all but
himself,--

"It would be excessively painful to us, Mr. Roland Cashel, to do
anything which should subject you to vulgar remark or impertinent
commentary; and as, until some further light be thrown upon this sad
catastrophe, your detention is absolutely necessary, may I ask that
you will submit to this rigor, without compelling us to any measures to
enforce it?"

"Am I a prisoner, my Lord?" asked Roland, growing lividly pale as he
spoke.

"Not precisely, sir. No warrant has been issued against you; but as it
is manifestly for your advantage to disprove any suspicions that may
attach to you in this unhappy affair, I hope you will see the propriety
of remaining where you are until they be entirely removed."

Roland bowed coldly, and said,--

"May I ask to be left alone?"

"Of course, sir; we have neither the right nor the inclination to
obtrude ourselves upon you. I ought to mention, perhaps, that if you
desire to confer with any friends--"

"Friend!"